The Pre-Departure Orientation (PDO)

A few days ago I got back from the YES Abroad National Pre-Departure Orientation (the PDO) in Washington D.C.  which was an amazing, albeit exhausting, four days. Here’s the breakdown:

Day 1 –Arrival: I only had a 40 minute flight so getting to the PDO was relatively painless for me, but for many people the trip involved connections, delays, and long hours. Most people were scheduled to arrive to D.C. around 4 or 5…I got there at 11 in the morning and the first thing on our agenda was a 6:30 dinner, so I just hung out with the few YES students that had already arrived. At dinner I met the other kids going to Bosnia with me and our alumni group leader, also named Emma, who just got back from her YES Abroad year in Sarajevo two weeks ago. After dinner we were shuffled into a conference room for a few opening statements and then it was off to bed.

Day 2 – Washington D.C. Visits: This was our most physically active day of the PDO because everyone was hustling around D.C. trying to make the numerous pre-scheduled appointments around the city. The Bosnia group had a slightly different schedule than everyone else though because we visited the Lincoln Memorial, the MLK memorial, and the Vietnam Vet memorial in the morning rather than in the afternoon. After enjoying the sights we headed to the American Councils office where we talked more with Emma, our alumni guide, and the Vice President of American Councils about the different challenges we might face while abroad. After a delicious lunch at the Bosnian Embassy, we talked with Ambassador for a few minutes. We posed for this photo in front of the White House. (See below)  Then came the most official of our visits, the State Department. Once we were shuffled through security, had our “VISIT - MUST BE ESCORTED AT ALL TIMES (yes, even to the bathroom)” passes clipped securely on our clothing, we sat down in the auditorium and heard Rich Ruth speak. He was great and he talked about his time in the foreign service and what our duty was as youth ambassadors. Then a panel of regional experts came out to answer any questions we had about our countries, but unfortunately there was no Balkan expert so the Bosnia kids just had save our questions for the Woodrow Wilson Center where we went next. After one last meeting we went back to the 4-H Center to have a few more sessions about what to expect abroad and then it was off to bed after a long day.

The Bosnia group at the Lincoln Memorial

We met the ambassador! (I'm the awkward one to the far left)

A picture to commemorate our impromptu White House visit

Day 3 – The Missouri Room: I slept like a log after Day 3 of the PDO, it was a surprisingly exhausting experience. Basically we went into a conference room and sat at tables with our respective countries and stayed there almost all day listening to informative seminars and participating in discussions about exchange student challenges. It sounds super boring and at times the information was a little dry but it was nice to feel like you have covered all your bases.

John and I are both from the same county in Connecticut and we're both going abroad! He's off to Thailand.

Day 4 – Departure: It was a rough day because suddenly all the YES Abroaders realized that besides the people we are going to our countries with, we may never see each other again! It was strange and exciting to meet a group of people who had the same crazy interests that you did and I made lots of good friends that I can’t wait to read about on our year abroad. (See the Yes Abroad Blogs page to join me!) Anyway we hugged the India and Thailand kids goodbye at the 4-H Center because they left that Monday and then headed to Dulles Airport. I had a good 5 hours to kill before my flight so I went to have lunch with a few other YES Abroad students in the international terminal of the airport. It was a great and very peaceful way to end such a lovely visit to Chevy Chase Maryland.

The group with the flag

Everyone you see in this photo is named Emma

Now I realize I’ve been rather list-y with this post and for that I apologize, so I’ll try to wrap things up in a different way now. I loved the PDO and the people I hung out with there and it gave me lots of excitement for my year in Sarajevo, but also a healthy dose of anxiety. :) It’s funny to think that in just 41 short days I’ll be posting from Bosnia and Herzegovina!